Boy, this getting old aint for the young: They wouldn't be able to handle it.

How many stairs to the second floor?

I am a morning person...love to get up early with the birds or some other such diurnal creatures.There was a time when I would get up in the morning at 6:00 am and be ready for a hayride or something equally exciting. Now I’m lucky if I can make my bed by 10:00 am...not that I don’t still get up early. I do, cause that’s the way my body clock was set when I was in my mother’s womb.

Anyhow, the myth about slowing down after 60 is no myth. I can vouch for that. And it doesn’t get any better from then on.. I find my mind still racing to get ideas and stories down on the page...or I should say the computer. But my aching bones are having a hell of a time keeping up with it. All I want to do lately is sit in my big beautiful comfortable Wing Back and write on my laptop. The only things moving are my fingers and my brain...just huntin’ and peckin’ away...past the early morning walks I used to take, past the yoga stretches I used to do, past lunch. Wait a minute...Did I just say past lunch? No way.

Sounds like a one way ticket to heaven....singing all the way; my memory still somewhat in tact. And that’s what I was thinking when I went to my Orthopedic doc a few weeks ago and asked for shots of that gel stuff they shoot into your knee joints....the ones that no longer have that nice comfy padding in between. No that’s ruined forever, along with that moon-shaped little fibrous thingy inside the knee joint called the Meniscus.

Before and After PT

Looking my doctor straight in the eye, I repeated. “I’d like to change that one way ticket to heaven to a ticket to the physical therapist down at the local Sports and Fitness Rehab Center please. And can I have a couple hits of that Synvisc stuff? ...in my knees, of course.

“Sure, Ms Hinchliff. Only your insurance wont pay for the Synvisc shots until we give you cortizone shots first, wait six weeks, and if the cortizone doesn’t work, you can have your shots of Synvisc deep into those aching joints of yours. In the meantime, here's a prescription for 6-8 weeks of fun with the Physical Therapist.

Sounded like a plan to me. So I signed up for physical therapy...six weeks of intensive and painful exercises designed to strengthen my flabby “quads” and “hams”. What an adventure!

That was six weeks ago...and today I’m ready for my Synvisc...only problem is I can’t get an appointment with my orthopedic doctor until sometime around Christmas.

“Oh swell” Now I’ll be forced to join the YWCA or YMCA or what ever and keep exercising so I don’t lose all the good I did my body while in PT. Or better yet, how about I just stay in PT......forever? I have the nicest therapist, smart, friendly, and not too bad looking. He runs the clinic and talks to me the whole time I’m on the treadmill.

Anyhow, this is the life of a Senior Citizen, at least this one. And just think, all of you will be joining me one of these days. Betcha can't wait LOL.

Comments

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sending

maggs224

7 years agofrom Sunny Spain

Hi Nancy, what a great way you have with words apart from the early rising bit, (I am a night owl)I had to smile at all the things you said having experienced most of the things you wrote about.

Something I noticed when I was doing the Atkins diet (low carbs high protein) one of the side effects I experienced was my knee and other joint pains all but disappeared.

Thanks for such a humorous and gentle story wonderfully told I thoroughly enjoyed reading it :)

Nyesha Pagnou MPH

7 years agofrom USA

Hi alekhouse,

I enjoyed reading this funny and candid story.:-) Thanks for sharing. I love the last lines!

SweetMocha-Monroe

7 years ago

Oh I needed this laugh! I am with you alekhouse, my joints are shot, along with my back. Thanks for the great hub.

Rebecca E.

7 years agofrom Canada

I enjoyed this hub a lot. You've got a way to make it fun when it's all about aches and pains.

Sherri

7 years agofrom Southeastern Pennsylvania

Nancy, I smiled at your words, too. Like you, I'm still rising early, but nothing else seems to happen for a long time afterward...I like to think about the morning time as my necessary wool gathering and meditative time, you know, getting ready to write. What an excuse! I just don't feel much like moving around. Shared at Not So Old Broads on fb. :)

Mike

7 years ago

Jane Fonda looks stunning for her 73 years. I think she is the best one on health and beauty so far.http://www.micocrane.com

AUTHOR

Nancy Hinchliff

7 years agofrom Essex Junction, Vermont

Robie, thanks so much for the kind words. Glad the hub made you smile a bit...that's always a good thing. So glad my DNA included a bent towards humor...it's gotten me through the toughest of times.

Roberta Kyle

7 years agofrom Central New Jersey

Hi Nancy-- this one has a delightful, light touch and there is nothing to do about the joys of getting older except to laugh. I hope, btw that the injections helped your knees and that you are out there jogging and gardening etc.

I too am an early riser and I too have slowed down a bit in the past few years. Cheers and thanks for giving me a smile

AUTHOR

Nancy Hinchliff

7 years agofrom Essex Junction, Vermont

Marie, Glad you thought it was funny. I was trying for a humorous piece, but it's hard to tell after writing it, and reading then editing it, if it was ever funny at all.

Thanks for the comments.

AUTHOR

Nancy Hinchliff

7 years agofrom Essex Junction, Vermont

SilverGenes...Thanks for checking out the hub...hope you enjoyed it.

VioletSun

7 years agofrom Oregon/ Name: Marie

Nancy, this was humorous, LOL, gave me visuals, could actually "see" you singing your one way ticket to heaven, getting the injections in that thing called the Menisucs, and in my mind I visualized a sexy hunk as a trainer talking. The ending of your article "And just think, all of you will be joining me one of these days. Betcha can't wait LOL" caught me by surprise. The element of surprise enhanced the humor of the hub for me. I think the strength of your writing this piece, is the ability to create fun visuals.

Enjoyed it and voted up! :)

SilverGenes

7 years ago

Hahaha I love the 'before and after PT' illustration! Now you have motivated me and I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not LOL. I am not - definitely not - a morning person. At work, people often just quietly left me coffee and disappeared until say, oh, 10 am or so. Now I am up at the crack of dawn with creatures that I didn't know inhabited the planet so I may as well take advantage of it and go on a walk. No, this getting older business is not for the faint of heart. Love the cortizone issue, too. LOL. But the best of all is the PT - you can just drop it into conversation and people think you have a personal trainer ;-)

Just think - you will have new knees for the new year!

Feline Prophet

7 years ago

You did say you couldn't get an appointment with your doctor till around Christmas some time... :)

AUTHOR

Nancy Hinchliff

7 years agofrom Essex Junction, Vermont

@feline prophet, Thank for the comment but I honestly don't get it. Anyone care to explain?

Feline Prophet

7 years ago

Hang in there - Christmas isn't that far away! :)

AUTHOR

Nancy Hinchliff

7 years agofrom Essex Junction, Vermont

Thanks, Sue, for the comment. I wont have to wait for 70 though...already passed you by, I'm afraid.

Sue Ann Bowling

7 years ago

60? Ha! Wait til you're 70, can't take cortizone because it plays merry hell with your blood sugar, and have no sense of balance thanks to a stroke. Hasn't stopped my writing, though.

AUTHOR

Nancy Hinchliff

7 years agofrom Essex Junction, Vermont

Carol, Thanks so much for stopping by. And glad you liked the piece. You and me kid..looking like Jane...they wont be able to tell us apart.

Carol Stenbro

7 years ago

Great stuff Nancy! I loved it! I'm there too! Been to PT and now trying the YMCA classes. My sneakers aren't silver but I am hoping for the Jane Fonda look real soon! Ha!

AUTHOR

Nancy Hinchliff

7 years agofrom Essex Junction, Vermont

@DIY You are oh so right and thanks for the read and the comment.

DIY Backlinks

7 years ago

Funny read but a lot of truth in it I am sure.

AUTHOR

Nancy Hinchliff

7 years agofrom Essex Junction, Vermont

Thanks for the nice comments on my hub. You got it completely. Humor is the best medicine of all.

Gail Sobotkin

7 years agofrom South Carolina

Love the humor in this hub even though it's about the aches and pains of getting older. Also enjoyed the graphics.

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